


Girl, You're Like A Weird Vacation (The Howl-At-The-Moon Remix)

by AraSigyrn



Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, F/F, Genderswap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-22
Updated: 2011-11-22
Packaged: 2017-10-26 10:38:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AraSigyrn/pseuds/AraSigyrn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Dear Adam Lambert,</p><p>Hello! My name is Kristina Allen. I live in Conway, Arkansas. My parents are Kim and Neil Allen. I am a lesbian werewolf. How about you?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girl, You're Like A Weird Vacation (The Howl-At-The-Moon Remix)

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Deannawol for the beta and asskicking.

Kristina Allen's generation is historic because it's not historic. Her grandparents fought for equality and her parents were the first integrated generation. Kris gets to sit in class with humans, vampires, fey and other monsters to plan her college applications.

Her guidance counselor is young, idealistic and full of ideas and new policies that Kris' brother thinks are 'touchy-feely BS' - meetings with college recruiters, literature on apprenticeships and career fairs and the installation of a new rack of pamphlets outside her office. The guy's name is Mr. Abbot and he's a little too eager to 'connect' with them. Kris doesn't like the way he talks about the need to integrate and hide the more 'monstrous' parts of their life.

With the advice and college applications done and Kris' entire class spinning their wheels as they wait for the holidays, Mr. Abbot starts using the class' free time to help them 'integrate'.

"It's important that people start off thinking that you're like them," Mr. Abbot says. "Then they won't be afraid when you tell them what you are."

Kris growls a little at that; she's never been in anywhere where there weren't werewolves and witches and 'monsters' but she doesn't like the idea of hiding who and what she is so strangers will like her. _Way to encourage individuality and self-expression,_ she thinks darkly. It's not like it matters. How are supposed to help change the world, Kris isn't entirely sure. It's not like they're writing to the President or like, anyone that could actually change anything.

"It's for fun," Mr. Abbot says, sitting in the middle of Mrs. Kent's desk with a smile that is probably meant to be friendly but mostly comes off as desperate. "You guys each take one of these envelopes which contain the name and hometown of your pen pal. You write them a letter and they write back. This is your chance to interact with people from totally different walks of life and get a look at the world through other people's eyes. I've written up some sample letters that you can use to get the creative juices flowing."

Katy and Kris giggle at 'juices' and roll their eyes at Mr. Abbot's enthusiasm. The sample letter handout is just a couple of pages sloppily stapled together. The first letter looks like it was copied out of a fourth grader's text book.

" _Dear Penpal,_

 _Hello! My name is John Doe. I live in MyTown, MyState. My parents are Jonathan and Jane Doe. I am a student. What about you?_ "

"The first letter will be sent through the school and you'll get your pen pal's reply through the school. If you guys hit it off, hey, that's brilliant and you guys are totally encouraged to keep writing - but in your own time and at the princely cost of just 44 cents per letter!"

The attempted joke - at least Kris _hopes_ it's a joke - falls utterly flat but Mr. Abbot doesn't seem to notice.

Kris writes 'Mr. Abbot's superpower = utter obliviousness? y/y?' and slides her notepad so Katy can read it. She's rewarded by a snort of laughter and Katy goes pink when Charles Browder sneers over across the aisle at them. He puts his hand up and Kris swears that if that little goblin is seriously going to rat them out then she's just going to bite him. Even if goblins taste of bile and rotten grapefruit.

"Is this going to be graded?" Charles asks instead.

"No," Mr. Abbot laughs like Charles was joking or something. "This is for _fun_. Just remember, be honest and make an effort. No-one but your pen pal is going to read that letter, cross my heart."

Mr. Abbot actually does cross his heart, proving that there are yet untapped depths to his dorkiness. He hands a bundle of envelopes to Tracey Greeley who takes one and passes them on. "I want you guys to think about what you're writing. Remember, it can be a lot easier to tell a complete stranger things that you wouldn't want to discuss with a friend or parent."

Kris rolls her eyes at Katy as she snags one of the painfully bright neon green envelopes as the thick bundle gets passed around. Pen-pals? What is this, the nineteen-forties? She rips open the envelope and a small card with 'Adam _Lambert, San Diego, United_ States' floats out.

It's written in purple ink for God's sake. Kris can't get much of a scent; it's mostly paper and a faint spicy scent that makes her nose twitch.

"Have your letters ready by the end of your next English class and we'll send them out to your new friends!"

Thankfully the bell goes before Mr. Abbot can say anything more horrifying and the class spills out into the corridor. Katy has one arm full of books, her envelope clutched in her hand while she presses her other hand to her mouth to hide the giggles.

"Oh, my god!" Katy manages and Kris can't help the answering smile. "Could Abbot have _been_ any more of a total tool?"

"Only by trying really hard," Kris deadpans and they both start giggling like lunatics.

"What's your pen pal's name?" Katy asks as they hurry towards the labs for another riveting physics class.

"Adam Lambert," Kris pulls a face. "Some guy from San Diego. You?"

"Giorgio Mogherini from Naples," Katy waves her envelope at Kris. "What am I supposed to say to some Italian ...guy? Girl? Is Giorgio a guy's name or a girl's name? Will I have to write in Italian? God, at least your guy is American."

"Californian," Kris points out. "What am I supposed to write to someone from California? Eaten any good oranges lately? Hey, how about that Arnold Schwarzenegger? Hope your tan's coming on nicely?"

"Jeez, Kristy," Katy pokes her in the side. "You are so bitchy lately."

"Am not," Kris lies and they make it into the lab just before Ms Kass closes the door and then there are a hundred other things that need Kris' attention and she stuffs the envelope into the back of her English book and kinda forgets about it.

Katy bags their bench and steals Kris' seat, turning to laugh at Kris, who is totally spineless and looks away before the shiver in her stomach can do more than make her feel too warm and graceless. Katy smells like sunshine and fresh grass and the most wonderful day of Kris' life, lightly dusted with the lavender perfume that Katy (and Kris' grandma) wear. Kris breathes in, eyes closing automatically, and savors the smell. All nymphs smell nice but Katy smells perfect.

Kris, being the hormonal klutz that she is, nearly trips over Katy's bag because, hello? Eyes closed?

 _Way to be cool, Allen_ , Kris thinks bitterly. Thankfully Katy doesn't notice the way Kris stumbles a little as she takes the seat beside her and Kris firmly pushes herself back to the matter at hand. She doesn't actually spare a second thought for Adam Lambert or what she's going to say to a California guy.

Kris actually puts it out of her mind so well that she doesn't remember that she, uh, hasn't _written_ the letter until ten minutes before their next English class. In her defense, not only did she have a full moon but she had to go to one of those cringe-inducing sexual health seminars. There's been a lot of them lately, mostly targeting the werewolves which is totally unfair.

It's the only thing about being a werewolf that Kris actually seriously hates; how werewolves are still seen as sex-crazed monsters with enough libido for any ten humans. Seriously, there are like, six hundred hormonal teenagers in Kris' class. Fifty three of them are werewolves but somehow, Charles banging his girlfriend behind the bleachers after school is just 'teenage hormones' but Kris smiling at a guy is a code red? How is that fair?

To add insult to injury, the last like five classes have been about 'mating' and 'debunking the myths' like how you don't need to be mated to have sex (duh) and that you should only mate with someone if you're sure that you're compatible (again, duh) and that you can get pregnant if you have sex with someone you're not mated to (seriously? Kris despairs of her generation sometimes).

The relevant part of this is that Kris, who is totally disorganized, has to write her letter during the last ten minutes of History class while Katy laughs at her. Kris tries not to be distracted by the way Katy's smile lights up her whole face and fails miserably. The whole ten minutes are spent desperately looking over the sample letters. Most of them make her roll her eyes, all perky fake cheer and nicely-nice phrasing.

Finally, Kris winds up using the fourth-grader template.

" _Dear Adam Lambert,_

 _Hello! My name is Kristina Allen. I live in Conway, Arkansas. My parents are Kim and Neil Allen. I am a lesbian werewolf. How about you?_ "

Kris' pen hovers over the word 'werewolf' but the bell goes before she can decide whether or not to leave it in. She sticks her pen in the bag and stuffs the letter into the envelope Katy finds for her.

"You actually finished?" Katy pretends to faint. "That was what, two sentences? Can I see this great work of American literature?"

"No," Kris snaps, too fast, and Katy flinches back a little. Her scent goes dark and misty with shock and Kris bites her lip.

"Oh. Okay," Katy says in this hurt little tone that makes Kris' heart clench.

"Sorry," she mumbles, hugging her bag to her chest and Katy smiles a little.

"It's cool. I'm just being nosey," Katy squeezes Kris' arm as they walk into the classroom. "I didn't mean to make fun of you."

"It's fine," Kris says honestly. There's already a pile of letters on Mrs. Kent's desk and Kris has this totally irrational moment of pure panic where she almost doesn't want to put her letter in the pile. It's not like she has time to write another one and-...Kris shakes her head.

It's just some guy in LA. He's probably not even going to write back. Hell, even he does, based on what Mr. Abbot was saying, he's probably going to freak over the 'werewolf' bit, not the 'lesbian' bit. Does 'in a letter to some guy I've never heard of before' even count as coming out? It's not like her parents know. Daniel doesn't know. Even Katy doesn't know and Katy knows about that time Kris accidentally wore her pajamas into school under her clothes! She doesn't care what this _Adam Lambert, San Diego_ thinks.

That's totally a lie.

Kris worries about it for a while. She's known for a while, obviously but the werewolf community is pretty conservative and she's so not ready to tell her family. Just trying to think of how to start that conversation makes her stomach churn with a nervous overload. Then Katy starts talking about college applications which indirectly proves that Kris' brain apparently has a critical stress amount.

She's mostly forgotten about the whole pen pal thing by the time she gets to last-period English on Monday.

"Kris," Mrs. Kent smiles at her which is bizarre enough that Kris' hackles go up and she has to focus really hard to keep every hair follicle in place. Mrs. Kent doesn't seem to notice, holding out a bright emerald green envelope with Kris' name scrawled across the front in purple ink. "Looks like your pen pal was the first to write back."

"Oh, uh, yay," Kris says, forcing a smile. _Shit._

She sits as far back as she can manage in class and hides the envelope in the book she's reading. She doesn't take it out until she's home but she's aware of it like a phantom weight against her back the whole way through school. Kris feels like she's sleep-walking through the drive home, Daniel complaining about the latest drama in his life and the whole evening until she's in bed.

Downstairs she can hear the Late Show playing and her parents talking. Kris switches on her bedside light and looks at the envelope. There's a citrus smell, sweet rather than sour and Kris runs her fingers warily over the envelope. There's no weight in the envelope but Kris is still so nervous that her nails are starting to lengthen.

Really, what the worst that could happen? A tract? A long letter telling her she's a bitch? Some rambling rant pasted from the sort of pro-human website that make Kris afraid to ever leave Conway? What if the guy is a pervert? What if he wants pictures of Kris or like, slumber parties? Kris has seen what straight guys think lesbians are like and...no. Just _no_.

She rubs her thumb over the small sticker stuck to the corner like a stamp. It looks like a cartoonish Tarot card; the Moon, Kris thinks. A pale yellow face that looks like it's smiling down at her name. It's totally stupid but that idea cheers Kris up enough that she tears the envelope open.

'Oh _. My. God!_ ' is the first line of the letter. Kris can't tell if that's a good start or a bad one. She keeps reading. 'That _was so funny! Was that a form letter? Who even wrote that? Geez!_

 _'So, I laughed for something like ten minutes when I read that, it was hilarious. I'd been having a crappy day so I really needed the laugh, so yeah, thanks for that. Certainly not something I'd expected from a were from Arkansas.'_

Kris pauses. She isn't sure if that was an insult or compliment.

'Anyway _so, I'm Adam. You already know that but I feel I should actually introduce myself. I live in San Diego and my parents are Eber and Leila Lambert. I'm also a girl. Just so you know. You probably thought I was a guy but it's cool, most people do. So don't feel bad if you did. It's weird but my parents are like, original hippy-intellectuals. If you ever need_ / _want a lecture on gender roles and the sexual and cultural repression of women, just let me know._

 _(I don't know that much about how it applies to werewolves though. Sorry!)_

 _I just turned 21 the other day (wild. Seriously. I could totally write a whole letter about the party but it might be TMI?) and I'm planning to move to LA soon. Mostly because I want to a singer. Maybe an actress - but mostly a singer. I've been doing some theatre stuff here in San Diego - I've done a couple of gigs even, but LA's where you gotta go if you want to really make it, you know? My parents kinda thought it was a phase. I mean, they spent like months trying to talk me into grad-study which really isn't my thing. I'm a Magus - just finished my certification a few months ago but I'm not really interested in studying more. I know enough and it's not really my passion, you know? But, I gotta be fair, they are being really supportive. It's not going to happen for a while, I need to save some more money for the move, find a car that doesn't suck, et cetera, et cetera._

 _What about you? Are you still in high school? You're done with your exams and stuff, right? What are you planning to do with your life? (Oh, god, did that sound too condescending? I can't ask that question without hearing it in my mom's voice! Feel free to pretend that I said something much cooler here.)_

 _I won't ramble on forever. You're probably regretting ever writing to me by now already. If I haven't scared you off, my email address is down the bottom. Feel free to email me. It's probably easier than postage and my handwriting is seriously atrocious (yes, I'm just noticing this now. Sorry!)_

 _Anyway, toodles!_

 _Adam._ '

There's a pattern of music notes in a darker green along the top and left side of the paper and there's a big swirly heart with a quaver drawn in the middle. Kris reads it again, memorizing the email address at the bottom of the page with a slightly stunned smile.

 _Wow,_ she thinks.

The floaty, wonderful feeling from the letter lasts until the next morning when Kris wakes up to her insecurity turned up all the way to eleven.

Adam is...amazing. She's older - _21_ and a _musician_. A real musician who plays actual gigs and is moving to _Los Angeles_. Kris is fascinated and intimidated. She wants to know about Adam's wild party, where she lives and what she sounds like. Adam is going to LA, though, following the same dream that Kris has when she thinks of the future and she sounds so cool and so interesting...

(...and, the insecurity whispers, Adam didn't mention the lesbian thing. Did she think Kris was joking or something? Adam doesn't seem like the sort of person that would be homophobic but Kris is honest enough to know that if Adam sends her one of those stupid pamphlets, it's going to _hurt_. Adam's so cool, so much cooler than Kris ever expected...if _Adam_ thinks Kris is perverted...)

Kris takes nearly a week to work up the courage to actually write Adam an email, a whole week of second-guessing herself every couple of seconds before she finally just goes for it. She types out the email, deletes, retypes and deletes three times before she finally hits 'Send' and immediately regrets it.

'Hey _, Adam._

 _This is Kris - from the pen-pal thing? Or Kristina, technically, but everyone calls me Kris so, it's like we both have guys' names. Funny, yeah? (Besides, Adam isn't a weird name - this guy at church is called Zosimos, so it could be a lot worse?)_

 _Thanks for your letter - I really enjoyed it. It was pretty much what I would expect from someone in California! :)_

 _Anyway, this is my email, so if you want to email me back, that's cool. I don't really know what else to say. My life is like completely boring compared to yours. I'm in high school, I'm a senior and...yeah, that's pretty much it, haha. Apart from being a lesbian which is probably the only non-boring thing about me so I guess I shouldn't have played that card right away, huh?_

 _Anyway, I'd love to hear about your wild birthday party. It'd let me live vicariously, or whatever._

 _-_ Kris'

Kris cringes. "God, I sound like such a loser."

She checks her email nervously every half hour for the rest of the night, tapping away on the f5 key until it jams. Daniel kicks her off the computer eventually to play World of Warcraft. Stupid brother.

Kris only gets to check her email the next morning while she's drying her hair from the shower. Thank God, there's a new message from 'Lambert, Adam' and Kris clicks on it with her heart in her mouth.

The email opens in a huge flood of text and Kris relaxes just a little. She glances over her shoulder to check her mom isn't coming to fetch her for breakfast. Leaning a little closer to the screen, Kris starts to read.

Adam's email is as bubbly and enthusiastic as her letter and Kris starts smiling without really noticing. It's like that first real conversation with Katy where they both just clicked and started talking about all the things that they had in common. It feels like Adam just 'gets' Kris in a way most people don't and something about the way she talks/types makes Kris feel more comfortable.

But it's the last paragraph that Kris loves most:

'I _want to say how much I admired you for telling me that you're gay. Not that it would have been terrible if you had been straight or anything! I'm gay too - well, I like girls. I have dated guys as well and I guess if you look back at my romantic history, it's probably 50_ / _50 but I don't know. I don't like labels or boxes and it's all really complicated but I am so glad you told me right off. It's like, when I meet someone new and I don't tell them right away then it turns into this big thing where I get nervous about telling them because, you know, what if they're a dick about it? So I start thinking oh, maybe I don't have to tell them about it at all but that's kinda like denying who I am and that's like lying, isn't it? But, yeah, I'm just glad you told me._'

Kris' smile lasts the whole day.

——

Kris and Adam email back and forth like, ten times a day (or something like that). It's like one long conversation that covers everything from Kris' pre-full moon shopping list to the totally bizarre odd jobs Adam picks up to pay for her move. She sends Kris mp3s of the demos she's recorded and talks about her tough as nails mom who is sweet as pie underneath, her activist dad who lectures on gender studies, her super-smart, super-snarky brother and her crazy friends who sound like comic book characters.

Kris talks about playing the viola in the orchestra but how she hates it, how she's been teaching the guitar for the last five years and how she's starting to learn the piano (a little). Adam gets ridiculously excited and begs for a recording of her playing, but the best Kris can manage is the crappy YouTube video of the orchestra's spring concert from last year which has like two minutes of Kris' solo.

 _That is so awesome,_ Adam sends back. _You are super cute by the way! That skirt is awesome!_

It makes Kris blush bright red and Daniel knocks on the door at exactly the wrong second and Kris yells at him to go away.

They talk a lot about sexuality - specifically Kris', most of the time. Adam talks casually about anything and never makes Kris feel awkward or stupid about asking questions so Kris slowly gets more comfortable talking about her own life with each new revelation Adam drops casually into the conversation. Adam is blissfully non-judgmental about everything, even when Kris talks about the way people think all wolves are animalistic sex maniacs and how guys keep talking about how they'd like to teach her to roll over and bare her throat.

'Ugh _, men can be such pigs,_ ' Adam writes back. 'Seriously _, though, don't let those jerks make you ashamed of yourself. You know you are so much more than just some male fantasy fodder. Don't let them make you feel uncomfortable._ '

Her longest email to Adam comes after a horrible dinner where Daniel made this foul and totally homophobic joke about two guys on the football team. Kris had sat there waiting for her mom to scold him and waiting and waiting but her mom just made this 'that's nice, dear' kinda smile and kept eating. Kris hadn't managed to eat more than a few more bites of her dinner. She'd just sat there, sick to her stomach and shaking with fear. She pours the whole thing out to Adam, just letting all the little clues and comments she's gotten from parents and friends and teachers that make Kris so scared of ever coming out, to like, anyone.

'Well _, you came out to me,'_ Adam points out in her reply. 'I _mean, I know you didn't know me but you still totally did it. That's a big deal. So you totally can tell people, you know. Plus, telling a gay joke is one thing but it's like, a whole different thing to disown your kid or something because she's gay. I don't really know your family, except for what you've told me but it all comes down whether you trust your family to back you up? Because if you do, then that's so much more important that just letting a couple of nasty jokes slide.'_

It's sensible advice and it helps dispel the dread pooled in Kris' belly. It's also a lot more practical than the vague suggestions from Mr Abbot's 'So You Think You're Gay' pamphlet. Kris also tells Adam about her not-really crush on Katy.

'I _don't think I'm in love with her,_ ' Kris writes, wanting to be clear right from the start. 'She _‘_ s _my best friend and we've been friends forever. I love her but not 'in love' love her, you know? I think it's just because we spend so much time together. She's the only girl I hang out with more than a couple of hours a week. I don't really have a lot of girl friends. I know a few guys but I don't really click with many people in school but Katy totally gets me. We started to hang out a lot about the time I started figuring out the whole gay thing so I think I just latched onto her because she was safe or something. It's like, I can see how that is true but it's still not easy, you know?_ '

Adam's reply is totally casual and so perfect.

'It _happens. Don't beat yourself up about it. Hey, you should tell her. About everything. Even if you're not in love with her, it's still important._ '

Kris cries a little which is totally cliché and something that she hates to do but it is totally necessary.

Adam gets the money together for LA and there's two weeks of radio silence as she moves to her new apartment. Kris doesn't realize how much time she spends talking to Adam or writing emails to Adam until Adam isn't there to talk to. She's snappy and irritable the whole two weeks. Daniel makes so many PMS jokes that Kris is starting to seriously contemplate fratricide. The other wolves start suggesting she take some more time to work out her tension and Katy starts making all these jokes about Kris' California boyfriend which makes Kris guiltily aware that she hasn't told Katy anything real about Adam, like that Adam is a girl, not a boy.

Finally Adam sends her this massive email with like a hundred pictures of her car, her new apartment and Adam posing under the Hollywood sign, making faces at her brother in the car and, holy cow, Adam is _gorgeous_.

Her hair is inky black (dyed, Kris knows from many whiny emails sent while Adam waited to rinse her hair) and she has like five different hair styles just in the photos from LA. She has curls in one picture, spiky hair with blue streaks in another and bangs falling into her eyes and mussed up hair from that one shot of her in bed that her brother took or something. She has bright blue eyes, freckles, a strong nose, sharp chin and a wicked smile. She's also got a tattoo on her wrist. Kris has never really liked tattoos before. She doesn't hate them, but she's never really thought about them as neat or anything before.

It totally doesn't mean anything and Kris most forgets about that tight nervous feeling in her stomach as she and Adam pick back up right where they left off. Kris is chatting with Adam on AIM after school one day with Katy lounging on her bed, talking about homework or something. Kris isn't paying much attention.

"Okay, seriously," Katy interrupts, swinging her legs to the floor and leaning over Kris' shoulders. "Who are you talking to? Is that like, the guy from California? The guy you're always emailing every second of the day. What, are you guys dating now?"

"Uh," Kris' fingers skitter across the keyboard. "No!"

"Uh-huh," Katy grins, leaning closer. "Can I talk to him?"

" _Hell_ no!" Kris swivels her chair around to glare at Katy who pouts back.

"Well, at least tell me about him," Katy grins suggestively. "What's he like? What are you guys talking about all the time?"

"It-it's not a big deal," Kris stammers a little. She still hasn't actually told Katy anything about Adam, despite meaning to but she doesn't really want to share Adam. It's like two worlds colliding and Kris types a quick 'be back later' message and minimizes the window. "Anyway, I need to start working on my homework."

"All right, all right," Katy pokes her in the shoulder with a pencil. "Don't want your brain to rot, I guess."

They settle on the bed, Kris on her stomach and Katy lying propped on the pillows, playing with her choker as she reads the Spanish assignment, humming to herself. Her candy-apple scent fills the room, blending comfortably with the smell of Kris' sheets and the chewed-up old teddy bear. The beads in her choker rattle as she lets it snap back. It's so close to some of the fuzzy fantasies that Kris felt so guilty about that Kris feels the sudden ache in her chest like a punch. She can see the minimized icon flashing, Adam's name in white/black lettering and there are flashes of Adam's emails stir through her mind.

"Hey, Katy?" Kris sits up, hands clasped in her lap to keep them from shaking.

"Hmmm?" Katy says distractedly.

"Kate." Katy looks up, frowning and Kris swallows. "I'm gay."

Katy's jaw actually drops, eyes bugging out in the most cartoonish expression Kris has ever seen. "Wuh-What?"

Kris hugs herself, curling away from Katy and feeling her heart stutter. "I-uh-I'm gay. I-I like girls." Katy is still staring at her, fingers pulling her choker taut and Kris starts babbling to fill the yawning silence. "I mean, I figured it out a while ago and I haven't told my family or anything and I-I wanted to tell you first. Please don't hate me?"

Katy's choker snaps back painfully loud, Kris jumping backwards. Katy's shock drowns out every other scent and Kris' teeth are sharpening, hair itching under her skin. Katy scrambles up to kneel beside her, facing her over Kris' narrow bed.

"Are you-you are," Katy gulps in a deep breath. "Oh, God. Oh, Jesus, Kristy, you're serious!"

"Yes," Kris growls, throaty and deeper than she means, hunching up her shoulders. "Don't call me Kristy."

"Oh my God!" Katy hugs her, clinging tight enough that Kris can feel her ribs creak. "Oh. My. God. Kris! _Kris_."

"Katy." Relief makes Kris go limp in Katy's arms and her voice wobbles as she hides her face against Katy's neck. "You don't- I mean it's not-..."

"Of course not!" Katy declares, squeezing her tighter. Kris can practically taste the sincerity, like steel and sunshine and she wraps her arms around Katy's waist, hanging on tightly. "Or-I mean...oh, you know what I mean. You're - it's just a shock, all right. You are my best friend in the whole world. I love you, so, so much. I love you and I am totally here for you. You know? No matter what!"

Kris is fucking crying again but she's smiling and she's so relieved. "I wanted to tell you, like, a million times. I just-"

"Am I the first person you've told?" Katy demands.

"Well, uh, I told Adam. In like the first letter, but she - I mean Adam's actually a girl, just her parents were hippies, it's complicated - was so cool about it and she helped me think about how to talk about it."

"Oh," Katy laughs a little. "Well, uh, I guess that explains why you guys are talking so much. Are you two-?"

"No," Kris says immediately. "We're just friends."

Katy's smile wobbles and she sniffles as a fresh round of tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm just- wow, Kris. I love you so much.

"I love you too," Kris says and it's honest, for the first time in what feels like forever. She wants to thank Katy but she can't make the words come. They talk, hanging off each other and bursting into tears every now and again until Katy's brother comes to pick her up and she hugs Kris tight before she goes.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow," she promises. "You, me and all the Ben and Jerry's I can find. Okay?"

"You're the greatest," Kris manages, blinking hard to keep from crying _again_. Katy waves from the car window and Kris waves back until the car turns around the corner. She lets her arm fall, taking a deep breath of cool evening air and goes back inside on shaky legs.

Kris collapses into her chair and brings up the IM window. Adam's still online and Kris smiles at the torrent of messages Adam's sent in the meantime.

 _krissxkross: be back later_   
_diva_biatch: k_   
_diva_biatch: Shit, what's seven times thirteen?_   
_diva_biatch: never mind_   
_diva_biatch: you back?_   
_diva_biatch: is it wrong that I find Rihanna hotter with the tattoo? It's so badass, u know?_   
_diva_biatch: going to sing lyrics at you, just fyi._   
_diva_biatch: DON'T BE THE REASON_   
_diva_biatch: DON'T BE THE REASON_   
_diva_biatch: YOU BETTER LEARN TO TR4EAT US RIGHT_   
_diva_biatch: imagine that in my voice. :p_   
_diva_biatch: CAUSE ONCE A GOOD GIRL GOES BAD_   
_diva_biatch: WE GONE FOREVER_

Kris rubs her eyes and leans in, fingers flying across the keyboard.

 _krissxkross: Stop shouting, you're hurting my ears_   
_diva_biatch: HE'S STAYING WITH A FLOCK OF THEM, OH YEAH_   
_diva_biatch: hey! wb baby! ;)_

Kris draws her legs up, hugging herself and typing out the next message before she can second guess herself.

 _krissxkross: can I call you? Or maybe you call me?_   
_krissxkross: only if you want to._   
_krissxkross: no pressure_   
_diva_biatch: sure, I can call you. Something wrong?_   
_krissxkross: I told Katy_

Kris tries not to hyperventilate. If Adam's reply didn't pop up seconds later, Kris might actually have had a heart attack.

 _diva_biatch: !!!!!!!!!! whats ur number_

Kris breathes out in a rush and types her number out as fast as she can. Her phone goes off like three seconds later and Kris snatches it up.

"Hello?"

"Kris? Oh my God!" Adam's speaking voice is different than her singing voice. "Kris! You! It's you! On my phone! I can't believe we didn't do this before! How have we not exchanged numbers before? This is so cool!"

Kris blinks and has to clear her throat before she can answer. "Yeah, it's me. Uh, hi, I guess?"

Adam's laugh is warm and musical. "This is unreal. I like, know you but I've never heard your voice? But, anyway, freak out of joy later. Are you okay? How did Katy freak out?"

"No," Kris chokes. "No, not at all. Katy was-was really good. I mean, she cried and I cried and-"

Kris' voice cracks in this totally embarrassing wobbly way and she presses her face into her sleeve, snuffling wetly and fighting not to cry.

"Oh, baby," Adam croons. "Oh honey, are you okay? It is totally okay to cry. It's a big deal. I'm here, I'm right here. Just picture me sitting beside you. It's okay. It's all okay, I promise."

Kris breaks down and god, this is so totally embarrassing but Adam just keeps talking in that soft, hypnotic tone and Kris slowly winds down, breathing in shaky little gasps. Her eyes feel swollen and sore, the skin around her eyes itchy and sore and her throat feels like it's been sandpapered. She feels wrung out and kinda embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," she manages at last. "I never-I don't cry, like, ever. It's not something I do. Normally, I mean."

"It's okay," Adam encourages. "I totally get it. You feel better, right?"

"Yeah," Kris admits, breathing out in a huge sigh. "Thank you."

"Oh, honey," Adam says immediately. "It was totally cool. I mean, you! On my phone! Talking! That is like totally the highlight of my week!"

"So," Kris manages, smiling a little. "I guess that means I can save your number, then?"

"Well, _duh_ ," Adam laughs. "You are totally free to call me, like anytime. I mean, I have rehearsals sometimes but I will call you back and you can text me, like any time. I mean, how crazy is it that we've been talking for all this time and we never actually _talked_ , you know?"

"You're kinda awesome," Kris says honestly and Adam's laugh is a little more embarrassed.

"Oh, come on. I mean, we're friends, right?"

"Right," Kris smiles, wiping at her eyes. "I mean, Mr Abbot might not have meant it to work out that way but yeah, we're totally friends."

"Mr Abbot - he's the counselor, yeah?" Adam laughs. "But, seriously, I'm dying here. How did it go? Did you work up to it? What?"

Kris swallows and sits back into her chair. She wipes off the last of her makeup and takes a deep breath. "Well, we were doing homework..."

——

She does call Adam and texts her so much that she has to upgrade her monthly plan twice inside the first week of having Adam's number just to keep from running up an insane bill. It's exactly like their internet conversations but Kris can talk to Adam even when Daniel is totally hogging the computer.

She and Adam have even more in common than she dreamed. Adam's also the first person Kris has ever met who actually appreciates the snark in her sense of humor. Adam's even snarky than Kris and some of her texts crack Kris up, even in the middle of class.

Katy and Kris are still friends, even more than they were before. Katy never hesitates to pull Kris into hugs or link their arms like she did before Kris told her. For a while, Katy is the only one Kris can talk to about Adam. This backfires a little when Katy gets her hands on Adam's number and they start plotting.

"You make it sound like a conspiracy," Katy pouts. "Seriously, I'm just looking out for you. I mean, she's a musician and she's so cool that I was starting to think that she was a serial killer stalker."

Adam, listening in on speaker phone, starts laughing so hard, Kris is half afraid that she's going to suffocate.

"You totally lucked out," Katy continues. "I mean, I got some Italian creep who wanted me to send him pictures and you got like, a soul mate."

"Shut up," Kris mutters. Katy's right, which makes it harder to admit.

Her parents know about Adam. Her mom thinks it's awesome that she has a friend and her dad worries about the phone bill. Daniel teases her about her 'girlfriend' and Kris snaps and bristles every time. She carefully doesn't think about why.

She sends Adam a teddy-bear for Christmas, inspired by a late-night IM session where Adam talked about how she hated sleeping alone. It's soft with defiant purple fur and a softer dark grey belly. It's got a little fuzzy mohawk and a tiny pleather jacket with blue eyes that make Kris think of Adam. (Kris totally does not sleep curled around the rockstar bear for two nights so when she posts it to Adam, it's carrying Kris' scent.)

Adam sends her a package in return, double-wrapped in brown paper with sparkly-rainbow penis wrapping paper underneath. Kris laughs for like an hour before she can catch her breath and actually open the package. (She is ridiculously glad she didn't open it when her parents were around.) Adam's sent her a tiny bronze mannequin that dances whenever Kris sings. It's a beautifully carved little figure with a red cloak and hood that pirouettes like a ballet dancer and Adam must have enchanted herself. It's the most incredible thing Kris has ever seen.

Adam also sends her a scarf; silken midnight blue and the most fashionable thing Kris has ever owned. It smells of the spicy/sweet citrus that Kris subconsciously associates with Adam and Kris finds herself breathing a little deeper every time she wears it. Katy takes like a million photos which Kris forwards to Adam who texts back exclamation marks and compliments that make Kris blush.

Adam and Katy have somehow become this force of nature, determined to nag Kris into getting stuff done. They both keep bugging Kris to tell her parents. Finally Kris caves, telling her whole family over New Year's dinner.

Even after Adam and Katy being so awesome, part of Kris is expecting screaming or arguing. It's almost anti-climatic when her mom bursts into tears and both her parents hug her tight. The solid scent of family/pack/love makes Kris want to cry.

"Oh, honey," her mom's mascara is leaving smears all over Kris' shoulder and her dad's gruff squeeze of her arm cuts off the blood to her hand for a second. "I'm so glad! I thought you were never going to tell us!"

"I-you-WHAT?" Kris sputters.

This is how Kris learns that she's apparently not subtle at all and that werewolf parents aren't oblivious, they're just trying to respect their kids' boundaries. According to her mom, they never got the 'interested' scent when Kris was looking at boys and- "Okay, okay! God, TMI, much!"

"We're so proud of you," her dad says, while Kris starts planning how she's going to spend her entire savings account on perfumes and deodorants in very near future. "We love you and we are still so proud of you."

Daniel, well, Daniel doesn't take it so well. He disappears upstairs, leaving a bitter/angry scent behind. He's gone by the time Kris gets upstairs and when he comes back, hours later, he reeks of cigarettes.

Kris is waiting for him; their parents might be giving Daniel space but Kris wants - _needs_ \- to know that he doesn't hate her. She's leaning against his door when Daniel jumps in through the window.

"Hey," Kris starts. Daniel grunts and doesn't look at her. She can't smell anything past the heavy reek of nicotine and chemicals and Kris is like ninety percent certain that that was the point. "So, you understand what I was saying? About how I like gir-"

"Yes! Christ," Daniel snarls, showing the tips of his teeth and Kris bares her own teeth just enough to make him duck his head. Daniel's all testosterone and aggression these days but Kris is an alpha, even in their parents' home, and she doesn't bare her neck to anyone. "I fucking got it, okay."

"And-?" Kris pokes.

"And we fucking talked about. You're a dyke, whatever," Daniel still won't look at her. "I just- I need time, okay."

Kris bites back the urge to say no, to keep pushing until Daniel tells her what he's thinking about how and why. But that's not helpful. She shakes her head and turns away. "Fine."

"Hey," Daniel lifts his head just for a second. "I don't, like, hate you or anything. I just, I need to think about this. I mean, you're going to college and like, growing up and it's all changing. I need to think."

 _About what?_ Kris wonders bitterly when Daniel darts over to give her a lightning-fast hug. He's closing the door before Kris can say anything. She stares at the Good Charlotte poster for a minute before sighing and going back to her room.

She writes an email to Adam and has a reply by the time she's back from the bathroom. As usually, Adam knows exactly what to say. 'It _‘_ s _probably just that whole 'not in my backyard' attitude; it's hot_ / _funny when like, Gaga does it but my sister? Ewww, no! Give him time and I think he'll come to embrace your inner Gaga._ '

'I _don't think Daniel knows who Gaga is,_ ' Kris points out, smiling past the ache in her chest at the strained tension running through the pack.

'Heretic _! Screw him then, who cares what he thinks,_ ' Adam shoots back.

The conversation moves on to college. Kris is going to college, Katy isn't. Nymphs don't usually go to university because it's usually not good for them. Instead, she's attending the Agrarian Academy here in Arkansas. Werewolves, while territorial, can and do travel so Kris has applied to all the colleges she really wants (and hopes) to go to.

What she doesn't tell Adam, because Kris is still trying to figure out how to casually mention it, is that one of the colleges Kris applied to is the University of California, Los Angeles. They've got a kickass Music Department and, well, all the other reasons could be copied verbatim from Adam's first email. LA is where you have to go, or Europe if you want the classical education but Kris wants to play music that people sing along to on the subway and that captures what it's like to feel the moon's fire and howl at the stars.

Kris does kinda have to tell Adam when the acceptance letter arrives. She prevaricates for like a week, trying to think how to bring up the whole thing without making it a big deal. So, because Kris' brain-to-mouth filter fails her at the worst times, she blurts it out to Adam when Adam's bugging her about applying to Julliard or something.

"OH MY GOD!" Adam practically screams and Kris pulls the phone away, ears ringing. "Kristina fucking Allen, are you kidding me!? I didn't even know you'd applied! How could you not tell me!?"

"I didn't know how," Kris laughs. "I thought, I don't know, I thought you'd think I was being some sort of creepy stalker or something."

"God," Adam huffs, smile still clearly audible in her voice. "I mean, how dare you move to LA to follow your dreams? How dare you come to live in my city where I can visit you and take you out to meet all my friends and show you all the sights? You are so totally selfish! _God_ , Kris!"

Adam's transparent delight makes Kris giddy and that giddy, bouncy anticipation lasts through the faint dregs of high school. Katy teases her about it, scent bittersweet and faintly salty and Kris laughs.

"It's like you're already gone," Katy says wistfully. "Going off to live the glamorous rockstar life with your girlfriend."

"Adam is not my girlfriend," Kris objects automatically. Katy has been treating Adam and Kris' friendship like a romance novel or something since before Christmas. It's getting a little annoying because, well, they're pretty obviously just friends. Katy has seen pictures of Adam, after all.

"Uh-huh," Katy links arms as they cross the football field to where graduation rehearsals are starting. "It's like you're already gone, sometimes. I mean, I know you're not just going to ditch me - aside from the moving to California bit - but I kinda wish that you weren't so...I don't even know."

Kris stops, Katy swinging to a stop beside her and laughs a little, more at herself than Katy.

"What?" Katy asks, tilting her head to peer at Kris.

"I had such a crush on you," Kris says, smiling a little. "Since like sophomore year, I was like head over heels for you. I mean, I'm not anymore but, well, you're the hottest girl in Conway so I mean-"

Katy stares at her, eyes wide and cheeks a little pink. Her scent is picking up these fascinating undertones of hot summer and fresh cornfields. "You-you seriously had a crush on me?"

"Well," Kris shrugs and ducks her head a little. "Remember, hottest girl in school and sweet and funny and my best friend? I was working things out and I don't think of you like that now but I did. For a while."

"Wow," and Katy is hugging her and laughing with teary eyes. "I-wow, Kris. I don't even know what to say to that."

"You don't have to say anything," Kris hedges, shrugging uncomfortably. "I just...thought you should know. I mean, I'm kinda hoping you don't hate me now but beyond that, it's just something you should know."

"I am so flattered," Katy says, honest and sincere. "You're a wonderful person, Kris," she gives Kris a mock once-over. "Definitely in the top ten hottest girls in high school too. And if I'd been gay or you'd been a guy? We totally would have made an awesome couple."

"The greatest," Kris smiles and Katy hugs her. Kris pretends not to hear the hitch in her breath or feel the damp patch on her shoulder and they stay there until the bell rings and they have to run to make it to rehearsal on time.

Graduation blurs past and Kris is packing for college in no time at all. Adam is keeping this ridiculous countdown (which Kris is fairly certain she's pulling out of her ass) and Kris' parents are both more tactile, hugging her or just wrapping an arm around her. She'll always be part of her parents' pack but she's leaving too and it's like this background knowledge that informs everything they do.

Daniel sits out with her on the porch, on her last night and stumbles over an awkward but genuine apology. Kris hugs him and is speechless with relief at the way he relaxes and hugs her back.

"Tell your girlfriend that she's not allowed to break your heart," Daniel says seriously. "Or I'll help mom hunt her down."

"I don't _have_ a girlfriend," Kris sighs and Daniel rolls his eyes at her.

"Sure you don't."

Her dad comes with her to help her move in, her mom staying behind because an alpha wolf-mother on the verge of menopause is a scary bundle of hormones at the best of times and Kris doesn't need to start her college career with her mom savaging another student. Kris texts Adam about that. Her mom makes a metric ton of cookies for Kris to bring with her and packs all Kris' clothes and a bottle of the unscented laundry soap that she uses. Adam tells Kris that she should encourage her mom to make more cookies and promises faithfully to supply people to eat them.

Her dad holds her hand on the plane, clearing his throat every few minutes and eyes bright with unshed tears. The only reason Kris isn't crying too is the frequent, excited texts from Adam. Her dad keeps it together through helping Kris set up her dorm room - she's got another were as a room—mate but she won't be there for another two days at least so Kris has the room to herself until then - and only cries a little when the last box is emptied out and he hugs her goodbye.

"If you need anything, anything at all," he says gruffly. "You call us. Doesn't matter what time. Anything you need, you call. Promise me."

"I promise," Kris says against his shoulder, blinking back tears.

She goes back up to her room and sits on her bed. She can still pick up her dad's scent and the faint lingering traces of her mom and brother and it suddenly hits Kris that she's _alone_. The sickening ache in her gut is interrupted by the buzz of her phone.

'where _r u? better not be ignoring me!_ ' Adam. Kris smiles.

'Just _finished_ unpacking'

'don _‘_ t _move! stay right_ there' Adam replies immediately.

Kris frowns and is about to ask what Adam's doing when there's a tap on the door that turns out to be Kris' across the hall neighbor who is wearing sunglasses and smells of old, deep earth.

"Hey, do you-" she breaks off and Kris can see her nostrils flare a little. "Oh, wow."

Kris knows that scent now - well, okay, she recognizes it from descriptions and the summer camps when older werewolves described it. The prickle of electricity along the line of her spine and the wolf within stirring to life. _Vampire_.

The girl smiles, her fangs denting her lower lip. "Hi, I was just wondering if you knew the RA's name? I was putting up my blackouts and I totally spaced on the whole introductions thing."

"I didn't catch her name," Kris smiles apologetically. The RA had stunk of nervousness and tried to keep her desk between her and Kris. "You're across the hall?"

"Yeah," the girl smiles ruefully. "Looks like this is the freak floor, all right," Kris chokes a little at that and the girl claps both hands to her mouth. "God, that sounds so bad. No, I mean this is the floor all the non-human freshmen are on. There's like an honest-to-god mermaid in 1590 and there are dryads further down. I'm Suzanne by the way. Resident bloodsucker."

There's something forced about her smile and Kris shakes her hand. "Kris, resident lunatic."

"You're a werewolf?" Suzanne sounds like she's never heard anything so cool and Kris smiles back. "Awesome!"

They start chatting back and forth and Suzanne seems genuinely nice. There's no sense of compulsion or the unnatural allure that Kris had been warned to avoid. Vampires and werewolves were a volatile, often explosive mix. Vampires called to the predator in every werewolf and Kris had heard some of the older werewolves say that the sex was hot.

Kris' phone buzzes with another text from Adam and Suzanne looks from the phone to Kris. "Texting your boyfriend?"

"Oh, no," Kris blushes a little (and sees Suzanne's pupils dilate behind the sunglasses). "I'm single...and you know, I'm gay so no, no boyfriend."

"Good to know," Suzanne purrs and Kris looks up from her phone, confused.

They're talking about class schedules when Kris hears a clamor in the hallway and Adam's voice in the middle of it. Kris gets to the door in time to see a flash of shiny leather and inky hair and the sweet/spice scent that is hardwired into her brain by now. _Adam_.

"Holy cow, what is this place? Fort Knox?" Adam's voice sounds real, rich and warm. "Do I need a strip search to proceed or something? I swear, I've flown international flights with less security."

There's laughter from the crowd of awed girls and Adam's teeth flash. "Thank you, thank you. Don't forget to tip your waiter!"

 _Adam_ is actually, seriously here.

She doesn't realize she said that out loud until Adam turns, iced coffee in one hand and her phone in the other and holy cow, she's breathtaking in person. All glam and sex-appeal in one sleek, fierce package. Adam's smile lights up the whole hallway.

"Kristina fucking Allen, get your ass over here!" Adam calls, holding her arm out. Kris laughs happy and joyful and flings herself at Adam. Adam smells amazing up-close, her body warm and the iced coffee cold against Kris' back.

"I can't believe you're here," Kris laughs against her neck and feels the answering vibration in Adam's chest as she laughs. Adam's iced coffee is cold against her back and Kris presses a little closer, breathing in Adam's scent and feeling her nervousness evaporating.

"I can't believe _you're_ here," Adam grins down at her. "How are you even cuter in person? This is unreal! Seriously!"

"You're gorgeous," Kris manages, then ducks to hide her head against Adam's neck because, god, she might have been thinking that, but she didn't mean to _say_ it.

"Thank you, darlin'" Adam says in her best Scarlett O'Hara accent, smiling wide. "You're not too bad yourself. I love the new hairstyle."

Kris shivers at Adam's rainbow-painted nails scratching lightly through her hair and hugs Adam tighter. She doesn't want to move, like, ever. She hears Suzanne clear her throat and Adam stiffens just a little.

"Oh," Kris says, stepping back reluctantly and turning to include Suzanne in her smile. "Adam, this is Suzanne, she's in the room opposite me. Suzanne, this is my friend, Adam."

"Friend?" Suzanne echoes, pushing her sunglasses up and smiling at Adam. "Adam, huh? Isn't that a boy's name?"

"Yep," Adam says cheerfully.

"Do you live here?" Suzanne asks, smiling a little more awkwardly.

"Moved to LA back in October," Adam smiles. "You?"

"Uh, Washington," Suzanne tucks her hands into her pockets. Adam keeps smiling, arm around Kris' shoulders and the silence turns awkward.

"So," Kris says, looking back and forth. "Uh, you wanna see my dorm room."

"Hell yeah!" Adam says enthusiastically and all but drags Kris into her room. Kris waves to Suzanne.

"I'll catch you for lunch tomorrow, yeah?" Suzanne says, smiling a little.

Kris gets a chance to wave before Suzanne disappears into her own room. Kris gets steered into her dorm room by Adam's arm draped possessively over her shoulders. Adam nearly slams the door, dropping her bag and coffee on the unclaimed desk before sweeping Kris into a proper bear-hug.

"I so did not get enough hugging yet," Adam mumbles against her hair and Kris laughs wetly against her chest, hugging Adam back. "Is it too weird to say that I missed you? I mean, I know we haven't met in person before but still, I missed you so much."

"I know what you mean," Kris whispers, laughing a little because it's just so crazy but she does understand what Adam means. They just hug for like five minutes, standing there with their arms around each other while the sounds of people in the dorms filter in.

"Is it too early to say that you're like, totally, my best friend?" Adam says eventually. "That sounds totally nuts, I know but I am just so, so glad that you're finally here. I have so much I want to show you and share with you and god, you're like living right in the same city and I just-"

Adam breaks off with a wet chuckle and steps back, sniffling a little. She's actually got tears in her eyes (not that Kris doesn't but Adam's makeup is so much more perfect than Kris has ever managed) and Kris reaches up to wipe away the tears with her thumb. Adam freezes for a second and her eyes are so blue and so bright. Kris' throat goes dry and her heart thumps in her chest.

"So," Adam says, blinking back the tears and beaming at Kris. "You got anything you need to do here?"

"Not today," Kris says, a little confused. "I have to sign up for classes tomorrow but there's nothing really happening today."

"Awesome," Adam crows. "Dress up in your fancy clothes, baby. I'm taking you out on the town."

Kris starts laughing but Adam is totally serious. She picks out a "sexay" outfit from Kris' luggage and tows her down to the car park.

Adam drives an actual honest-to-god _Mustang_ which is just too cool. Kris has to spend like five minutes just staring at it and oohing over it. It's a glossy dark purple with polished chrome.

"I refurbished her for my final project," Adam admits, patting the dashboard. "She was going to be scraped but I just couldn't let that happen."

Adam drives like a maniac, careening around corners and slotting her car through the narrowest gaps in traffic. Kris should be terrified but instead she laughs and they sing along to Bon Jovi with the volume cranked up, laughing and hamming it up to ridiculous extremes.

Adam's apartment looks like a Broadway set done by Tim Burton. It's hectic, crowded with knick-knacks that are all so perfectly Adam. Adam even has a 1950's Hollywood style dressing room table with lights around the mirror frame. She has a more bottles of make-up than an artist's paint box.

Adam sits Kris in front of the mirror and does her makeup for her. Adam crowds into her personal space, so close that Kris can smell the sugary coffee on her breath. Adam applies makeup with practiced ease of a professional. It's more makeup than Kris normally wears and she barely recognizes herself in the mirror when she's done. Adam even uses magic to do Kris' eyeliner (because Kris is really bad as holding still when people poke pencils in her eyes).

Adam is actually really good at magic; Kris can totally see why her parents wanted her to keep up her studies. Of course, Kris totally understands why Adam wants music instead. It's harder work to succeed in music than it is in magic but Adam sings like it's what she was born to do.

Once Kris is made up and sipping at the melted dregs of Adam's coffee, Adam sweeps her off on a whirlwind tour of LA. Adam knows _everyone_ and Kris meets just about all the people Adam has told her about in emails and text messages. It's like the most incredible theme park ride Kris has ever imagined.

Adam's LA is magical. There's no other word for it, cliché as it is. She clearly loves every inch and she knows where all the wonderful secrets are and Kris loves it. Her neighbors are some fabulous drag queens and there's a vegan troll called Muffin who lives in the basement. He sniffs at Kris who sniffs back politely.

Adam drags Kris to a modern art exhibit which is mostly painted, naked people which makes Kris blush and giggle. They stop off at some of Adam's favorite shops and Adam buys her earrings and some vintage pin-up postcards. They grab coffee in a pocket-sized cafe with a guitar that Adam guilts Kris into playing for her, both of them singing along until they're both hoarse. Adam buys her ice-cream and they eat some of the biggest, most decadent muffins Kris has ever tasted.

She brings Kris to all the places she's told Kris so much about and when she finally drops Kris back to UCLA, it's nearly midnight and Kris is so tired she can barely stand but when she falls into bed, she's smiling.

Adam monopolizes Kris' spare time which makes college bearable for the first few months while Kris adjusts. Her room-mate turns out to be Kendra, a Swan Princess, with a disturbing fixation on Animaniacs, which, okay, Kris liked Animaniacs but when she comes back from Composition 101 to discover the walls of their room wall-papered with pictures of the Wakko, Yakko and Dot? It's a little freaky and Kris spends the whole night trying not to notice the hundreds and hundreds of cartoon eyes staring down at her.

Kendra also disapproves of like, everything about Kris. Kris doesn't shave enough, her music is weird, her clothes...well, Kendra sniffs and pointedly doesn't comment on Kris' clothes. Kris can feel the growl rumbling in her throat every time she has to be in the same room with Kendra.

Under the University's Code of Conduct, Kris can't even snarl at Kendra. Werewolves have to be careful dealing with non-carnivores because it's always bullying if they start to act aggressively. So Kris winds up spending a lot of time in Suzanne's room; Suzanne has a single because vampires aren't considered safe roommates. Suzanne even comes out with Kris during the full moon. UCLA has a park for lycanthropes to stay during the full moon and she and Kris get breakfast most days.

Kris meets Cale, another werewolf from Little Rock, in her guitar recital group and he spends like a month hitting on her before Kris finally tells him that she's gay just to shut him up.

"But we can hang out, right?" Cale says, nervous and ducking his head when Kris looks at him. Cale's scent is submissive and desperately needy. He's a beta and the only frat with werewolves doesn't accept freshmen.

"Sure," Kris agrees. They wind up playing a lot and Cale starts talking about setting up a band. Kris mostly is in it for the practice but Cale's persistent and Kris starts warming to the idea. She's not a superstar like Adam. Kris has always known she's going to want a band to back her up. Cale isn't a band but he's a start. He smiles like a total dork when Kris says it.

For the most part though, Kris' friends in LA are Adam's friends; the sassy drag queens from Adam's apartment block, Danielle who has known Adam forever, Brad who glories in playing the stereotypical gay queen and Allisan with an 'a' or Allison with an 'o'. When Adam is busy with rehearsals, there's always somebody there to spend time with.

(Kris is starting to wonder how to tell them that they're practically pack.)

"You sound like you're having such a good time," Katy says wistfully when Katy phones her. "I am so jealous. You are totally going to have invite me up for Spring Break."

"I will," Kris promises. "Seriously, LA is so cool. There is so much I want to show you. You are going to love it, I swear. There are some really quirky places. There's this vegan/kosher vampire deli that makes the best bagels I have ever tasted."

"So, have you asked Adam out yet," Katy says casually as Kris takes a sip of her coffee.

Kris sprays coffee all over herself, coughing. "What? Why would I-?"

"Because you're totally crazy about her, she loves you and the only way the two of you could be any more perfect for each other would be if you were actually married," Katy laughs. "Come on, you have to know you two would be awesome. I mean you turned down Vampirella because you're so hung up on Adam for God's sake!"

"That wasn't because of Adam," Kris insists weakly, trying not to think about the unsurprised way Suzanne had taken Kris' totally stupid refusal.

 _“I'd kinda figured,“ Suzanne had said casually. “But I mean, I had to ask. Even aside from the whole werewolf thing, you're gorgeous, funny and nice. It's not like I'm going to do better.“_

 _She'd leaned right in to sniff at Kris' neck which should have been creepy but sent a startled shiver along Kris' spine and made heat pool in her stomach. Suzanne had smiled mysteriously and disappeared off into the dark. Kris had stared after her, feeling half-curious, half-turned-on but she had stayed in the park until the sun came up._

"Yeah, right," Katy snorts. "You're holding out for Adam. Just admit it!"

"Adam's not interested," Kris says because, yeah. Adam's hot, fun and the most compatible human being Kris has ever met. Kris wouldn't be human (mostly) if she hadn't thought about. They still talk about sexuality and relationships and Adam always talks about how she's the one who makes the first move. Kris has even asked some of Adam's friends and they all agree. Adam makes the first move. "It's been like, months. It's not going to happen."

Katy makes this appalled sound and starts arguing but Kris isn't even that upset. (That is totally a lie.) She sees Adam every day, gets coffee and goes exploring all the cool places and gets hugs and text messages. It's not perfect but it's enough.

Right?

Kris finds out the hard way that she's totally wrong about that. Adam's production of _Wicked_ is finally opening and Kris has promised faithfully to that she'll be there. Watching Adam perform is sweet torture; she comes to life. Kris loves watching Adam perform but it's hard to keep herself from snarling at some of the people in the audience. She hates the way everyone looks at Adam. Silly stupid people who think they know her or that Adam performing gives them some kind of claim on her. It makes Kris want things that she already knows she can't have.

The actual performance is magnificent. Adam's a natural Elphie, breaking Kris' heart with her courage and stealing every single scene she's in. Her performance of 'Defying Gravity' brings the whole house to their feet and the applause is deafening. Adam gets like ten curtain calls and the biggest bouquet. She's smiling and blows Kris a kiss from the stage.

Everyone wants to talk to Adam afterwards so Kris hangs back. She needs a little time to calm down before she talks to Adam with people around. She's standing with Brad and Danielle, sipping the bright green cocktails that Brad got them when this tiny little blond walks up to Adam. He just walks right up and kisses her, sliding his arm around his waist when Adam laughs.

Kris actually staggers backward, like the guy punched her right in the chest. The air-conditioning blows his scent across the room and Kris feels sick. She _knows_ that scent. Adam's worn that scent under her perfume and makeup for the last four days at _least_ and oh, God. Kris is going to throw up.

She bolts. Brad's startled shout echoes in her ears but werewolves are fast. She's gone before he can even catch her arm. Kris doesn't even know where the hell she's going. She just runs until she's outside, the night air cool against her skin. Kris collapses against the dirty brick wall and just cries until Brad finally finds her.

"Oh, Kris, baby," Brad croons, wrapping her up in a hug and letting Kris sob against his shoulder. "Do you need me to get Adam?"

"No," Kris manages. "Just, can I get a lift? Please?"

"Okay, yeah," Brad soothes. "We can do that. Just stand up for me, okay? That's it, good girl."

Brad walks her back to his car, talking to Danielle on his phone.

"Yeah, Dani? Can Adam's new boytoy fit you in his car? Kris isn't," Brad hesitates and Kris tenses up. "...feeling so hot. I'm going to drop her back to her dorm."

Danielle clearly doesn't remember that werewolves have sharper hearing. "God, fuck. Adam didn't tell her about Tommy?"

"Tommy being the boytoy?" Brad bitches as he unlocks the car door. "No, strangely enough, she seems to have missed the whole introductions thing."

"God fucking dammit!" Danielle growls. "Right. Fine. Kris wants to go home?"

Kris tightens her grip on Brad's arm and he winces. "Yeah, I think you can say that."

"Fuck, all right," Danielle sighs. "You get her home. I'll get Adam to give me a lift to the bar. Make sure Kris makes it back okay?"

"I will," Brad promises as he helps Kris get her seatbelt on. "I'll talk to you later, honey."

Kris is numb by the time Brad actually gets the car on the road, not even crying. She just breathes in and out, staring down at her hands as her chest aches. Brad doesn't try to talk to her, just cranks up the radio and drives her back to her dorm.

Suzanne is studying in the common room when Kris stumbles in, makeup bleeding all over her face. She looks up, nostrils flaring and Kris can smell the sudden spike of concern, crisp and copper-salt. Kris stumbles into her arms and muffles the howl that she's been fighting back against Suzanne's cool neck.

"Oh, oh, Kris," Suzanne croons, stroking her fingers through Kris' hair. Kris wails and Suzanne guides her down to the sofa. "Oh, sweetheart. What's wrong? What happened? Is it Adam?"

"She-she's dating some guy," Kris manages and bursts into tears.

"Oh, oh, no," Suzanne's fingers stroke across her shoulders. "Oh that sucks, Kris. I'm so sorry."

Kris cuddles closer, Suzanne's voice whispering soothing words in her ear. Kris turns her head as Suzanne bends down and their lips meet. Suzanne freezes for a moment and pulls herself back.

"Kris, this isn't a good idea. I don't think you're really ready for-" Suzanne says and Kris snarls low in her throat. "I-Kris, please."

"I think," Kris says, opening her eyes to look up at Suzanne. "That I'm fucking sick of other people making my choices."

Suzanne dips her head, nuzzling against the racing pulse at the base of Kris' neck. Her fangs graze the skin, a bare scratch that makes Kris shiver and she reaches up to pull Suzanne closer. Suzanne takes a shakey breath, tongue dragging across Kris' skin.

"Don't hate me in the morning," she breathes as she presses Kris back into the couch and kisses Kris deeply. Kris pulls her down, deepening the kiss and they both groan.

————-

Kris wakes up late the next morning in her own bed. She's too hot and when she tries to roll over, Kris discovers that she's still wearing her clothes from the night before. Her eyes are sticky and she feels gross. The light shining through her window makes her head throb and her head swims when she tries to sit up. She can smell orange juice and Kendra's floral deoderant and Kris moans.

"So," Kendra's voice makes Kris try to hide under her pillow. "Are you, like, a slut now?"

"What?!" Kris sits bolt upright and nearly falls out of bed.

"I mean, I thought you were dating that chick with the wierd name but Suzanne brought you back at like three in the morning," Kendra snaps her gum because yes, apparently she's embraced her inner valley girl when Kris wasn't looking. "And you've got a monster hickey."

"I what?" Kris lurches into the bathroom and okay, yeah, that's a hell of a hickey. It looks like Suzanne actually did take a bite out of her.

"So," Kendra is standing in the door. "You've going to need stage make-up to cover that. Also? You reek."

Kris stomps off to the showers and scrubs herself clean. She doesn't feel that different. She kinda figured you know, sex would change things. She feels a little more relaxed but mostly she's dreading having to face Suzanne. Hooking up was one thing but she's not really sure what the socially acceptable morning after routine is. She's carefully not thinking about Tommy or Adam, concentrating on the ache in her neck. Kris is anticipating the awkward breakfast with Suzanne. She isn't expecting to walk into her room, dressed in her robe, to find Adam sitting on her bed.

"So, yeah," Kendra says as she brushes past. "I'm going to go get lunch. Do not have sex on my bed. I will _know_."

"Uh," Kris stammers. "Adam! What are you doing here?"

"We, uh," Adam looks rough, her hair is still damp and she smells of soap and nerves. She's wearing a rainbow glittered t-shirt that Kris bought her weeks ago. Adam clears her throat. "We need to talk."

"Okay," Kris tries to smile. "Is this the sort of conversation I should be wearing clothes for?"

Adam's head jerks up and her eyes go wide. Her pupils dilate and her whole scent changes. Kris' breath catches in her throat and Adam looks at her, actually _looks_ at her. Kris' pulse picks up. Adam's looking at Kris' tender, swollen lips. Then her eyes snap down to the bruise on Kris' neck and Adam scowls.

She stands up in a rush, backing Kris up against the door. Her scent sharpens, the citrus drowning out the sweet. Kris clutches her towel and opens her mouth to ask what the hell Adam thinks she's doing.

Adam kisses her. Kris tries to back up, back hitting the door as her towel and toiletries tumble to the ground. Adam has her hands on Kris' shoulders and her scent is making Kris' head spin; full of love and need and want and hurt and jealousy. Kris moans a little. She feels feverish, sweating from the pure heat Adam is radiating and god, Kris wants to just bare her neck and let Adam ravage her.

Pushing Adam back is the hardest thing Kris has ever done. She's shaking, partly from the blood-loss but mostly from Adam and the narcotic effect of being so close to her.

"Don't," Kris manages. "You can't-...you have a _boyfriend_ , Adam."

"No," Adam pants. "I don't."

"You and Tommy-"

"-are just friends, Kris," Adam insists. "We met doing the show. I'm not saying we didn't fool around, okay. We totally did but it wasn't a relationship. It was just, fuck, just stress relief."

"He kissed you," Kris protests.

"That's just Tommy," Adam says, stepping forward. "He's a touchy-feely kinda guy. If you'd stayed, I could have introduced you. Tommy really wanted to meet you."

"Why?" Kris can't imagine why a straight guy who's attracted to Adam would have wanted to meet her.

"You play the guitar," Adam is blushing, a slow spread of pink across her cheek. "He's this awesome bassist and he's looking to join a band."

"Okay..." Kris says doubtfully.

"And he's been looking forward to meeting my 'imaginary girlfriend' since rehearsals started," Adam says into her hands.

"Your...girlfriend?" Kris stutters. "Why does Tommy think I'm your imaginary girlfriend?"

"Because I talk about you _all the time_ ," Adam says slowly. "Because I text you more than I text my mom, my brother and Brad combined. Because you can cook and you make lousy coffee and you're funny and kind and wonderful. Because I love your legs and your smile and you're the best friend I never even knew I wanted."

Kris swallows and Adam rubs at her eyes. She isn't wearing make-up and Kris can see her freckles. She is irrationally fascinated and doesn't look away in time when Adam looks up.

"Because," Adam says so softly that Kris has to strain to hear her. "Because I miss you every second I'm not with you. Because I want you to move in with me over summer and stay forever. Because you're the best person I've ever known. Because you have a hickey on your neck and I turned your pen into a stake, I was so angry. I could have staked Suzanne I still want to. Because you're perfect for me and I think I've been in love since the first time I heard your voice and I don't think I can pretend it isn't killing me to be so close and never being allowed to touch."

Kris' heart is beating so hard that Kris is shaking and she catches Adam's hand, breathing in deeply. Adam's scent is still making her head spin. Kris closes her eyes for a second and concentrates on the way Adam smells. Sweat, adrenaline and nervousness but no deceit. Adam's not lying. She pushes Adam back to sit on the bed and after one millisecond of dread, Kris leans into her, pressing her forehead against Adam's forehead.

"All you ever had to do," she says, voice cracking a little, "was ask. I've been in love with you since the first letter you sent."

This time, she kisses Adam.


End file.
